WORCESTER, MA- Senior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton,
MA/Brockton) knocked home the eventual winning run in the
top of the seventh inning of the second game of a New England
Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball
doubleheader on Friday, helping Wheaton College earn a 3-2 win over
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and salvage a twinbill split
on Class of 1893 Field. The Engineers took the opener, 1-0.
The Lyons picked up a much-needed win in their quest to qualify
for next week's NEWMAC Tournament, as they are now 15-21 overall
and 6-8 in the league. Wheaton sits sixth in the league standings,
as the top six teams participate in the postseason. WPI moved to
11-20 and 3-9.
In the second contest, Wheaton took advantage of two
first-inning miscues by the hosts to capture the lead, as senior
Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) came through
with a two-out, two-run single. The Engineers threatened in the
home half, as two of the first three batters drew walks before
freshman hurler Lesley Warn (Portland, ME/Deering)
settled down and retired eight of the next nine WPI hitters.
Wheaton had an opportunity go for naught in the second, as
senior Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) led
off with a double before being stranded, and the Engineers fought
back in the fourth. After senior Sara Migdal (Galway,
NY/Galway Central) led off with a home run to make it 2-1,
freshman Kaylyn Button (Ontario, NY/Wayne Central)
doubled with two on and one out, but a fortuitous bounce produced a
ground-rule two-bagger, and only the tying run was able to score.
From there, Warn stranded Engineers at second and third by inducing
a pop-up before fanning the leadoff hitter.
The Lyons nearly broke the tie in the sixth, loading the bags
with two down without scoring, before coming through in the
seventh. Sophomore Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central
Catholic) led off with a single to center, moved up on
freshman Mary Fay's (Stoughton, MA/Cardinal
Spellman) sacrifice bunt and scored on Kelleher's single
to center. Junior hurler Andrea Bagley (Foxboro,
MA/Foxboro) got WPI 1-2-3 in the home half, as she
provided three perfect innings of relief out of the bullpen to pick
up the win.
Bagley and Warn combined to set down the final 11 Engineer
hitters. Warn struck out four while allowing five hits in four
innings during a no-decision. Cotto and Kelleher each finished
2-for-3, sophomore Katy Salka (Ayer, MA/Ayer) had
a pair of knocks, and Merrick scored twice.
Bagley pitched well in the opener, but a home run by junior
Kelly Johnson (Buxton, ME/Bonny Eagle) with one
down in the first inning gave WPI all of the offense it needed.
Johnson finished 3-for-3, as Bagley allowed only four hits in the
game while fanning six and walking no one. Salka was 2-for-3.
The Lyons' best threat occurred in the fourth inning, as
sophomore Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law)
singled leading off before moving all the way to third on
consecutive groundouts but being stranded. Salka doubled with two
down in the seventh to move into scoring position, but Wheaton was
unable to advance her home.
Wheaton hosts Clark University tomorrow on Senior Day, as a
sweep of the Cougars would allow the Lyons to clinch a postseason
spot. The NEWMAC twinbill begins at 12:00 p.m.
